LIFE AS A VIDEO GAME!

[Guest guest]

LIFE AS A VIDEO GAME!

I have always been fascinated how life and video games seem to have so

much in common. There seem to be many lessons we can learn from video games on

how to live and understand our life better.

LIFE IS A GAME, DON’T TAKE EVERYTHING TOO SERIOUSLY.

The first and foremost

lesson is that we should enjoy life as the entertaining and exciting game it

is. There is no use in getting worked up about things as everything is part of

the master plan that is in place, and we are but puppets in the play (leela)

of the Divine.

GET TO KNOW THE RULES OF THE GAME AND THINGS GET

EASIER.

If we know the rules of

the game we can play it better and more successfully too. Similarly we need to

find out the rules of the game called life. The most important rule is, “you

are responsible for what happens to youâ€!

IT HELPS TO HAVE A GUIDE.

Having a guide who knows

the rules and obstacles on the path makes things much easier. You not only get

to know the game better but get past obstacles faster, easier and with minimum

damage. You can also score more heavily in all aspects of the game and so also

in life. The role of the Guru in ones’ life can never be underestimated.

BE ALERT TO FACE ANY CHALLENGE

The games teach us the

necessity and importance of being ever alert and ever ready. This is vital in

good living for eternal vigilance is one of the important keystones of right

living. In Yoga, the concept of being in a restful yet ever ready state is

exalted just as a bowstring with perfect balance leads to the perfect bull’s-eye

being achieved..

SKILL DEVELOPS WITH PRACTICE

Practice makes perfect

goes the saying and the games teach us that for sure. As you play it again and

again, you surely and steadily improve your scores attempt by attempt. Life

also works on similar principles. If we learn from previous mistakes, we become

more skillful in avoiding pitfalls and learn to negotiate the dynamic twists

and turns that crop up at every point in our life. Dedicated and determined

practice (abyasa) is the most important aspect of Yoga and this we can

learn from the game too.

YOU DON’T SOLVE PROBLEMS, YOU OUTGROW THEM

One of the most important

lessons we need to learn is that we can never really solve our problems. All we

can do is outgrow them. Any one who has played video games knows that there are

different obstacles and dangers at each level of the game. When you get past

one level you outgrow those obstacles and dangers but then you are faced with

new ones at the next higher level too. Similarly in life too at each level of our

growth there are multiple challenges that are aimed at making us evolve for

that is the purpose of life itself.

DO YOU BEST AND THEN LEAVE THE REST.

While playing the game,

you are determined and focused on staying ‘alive’, getting more energy, wiping out

your loses (karma) and scoring the most points (punya). However at the

end of the game you realize it was just a game and that you need to go on and

try once again. You try your best but then when you loose it is not the end of

the world for there is another chance awaiting you soon. A sense of

dispassionate detachment (vairaghya) can also be developed by

understanding this important Yogic principle of right living.

THERE IS ALWAYS ANOTHER CHANCE

Just as games give us

more opportunities to improve on our score and do better, so does life. We are

given many chances within lifetimes and also many lifetimes (84, 00, 000) to

evolve towards the final goal of MOKSHA.

 

 

Yogacharya Dr.Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani Chairman : Yoganjali Natyalayam and ICYER Hon General Secretary, Pondicherry Yogasana Association 25, 2nd Cross,Iyyanar Nagar, Pondicherry, South India-605 013 Tel: +91-413 - 2622902 / +91-413 -3203314/+91-413 -2241561 Mobile: 9842311433 Website: www.icyer.com www.geocities.com/yognat2001/anandahttp://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=yognat2001 & p=r